SAVE THE DATE!!
Calling all volunteers!
Our Parish Picnic returns on Sunday, September 19th from 12:30p.m. - 4:00p.m.
We need volunteers to help run our most popular activities: pony rides, dunk tank, moon bounce, face painting line, run the cake walk, call the ever popular bingo and more!
Please email the Picnic Team at: setonparishpicnic@gmail.com if you can help or have questions.
Also, each volunteer gets a free ticket to the picnic!
Dear Friends,
Every so often, a television commercial makes a mark on our souls over and above its sale pitch to our credit cards. An ad this spring for Kohl's department stores is just such a spot. Maybe you've seen this charming little moment:
A little girl is drawing with chalk on her front walkway when a delivery man walks by, juggling boxes. Clearly, he's having a bad day and just glares at her. His grumpiness gives her an idea. She takes her chalk and draws a hopscotch grid on the sidewalk in front of her house. It's a wonderfully colorful and inviting work. As she watches, everyone who passes by - teenagers, a woman jogging, a senior couple - stops to play the game, cheering and waving at her when they successfully dance their way through her design.
Then the grumpy delivery man reappears. He stops and scowls at the hopscotch challenge in front of him. He looks at the young artist, and to her surprise, he smartly jumps through the grid. He then walks away with a sly smile.
Adding to the charm of the moment is jazz musician Jon Batiste's take on the great American song "The Sunny Side of the Street."
A little girl's hopscotch challenge becomes the "deserted place" envisioned by Jesus in today's Godpel. The "deserted place" can be a physical place of quiet and solitude to re-connect with God and the things of God - but the "deserted place" can also be time: a few minutes we set aside to stop, to realize God's presence in our midst, to feel grateful for God's grace in the love of family and friends. We all need "deserted" places - "hopscotch" moments - to escape the demands and expectations of our over-scheduled lives to hear anew the voice of God in the quiet of our hearts, to realize anew God's presence in our lives in the love and care of family and friends.
Archbishop Lori asks us to join him in prayer for the protection of the unborn as Congress decides to either support or defeat the longstanding pro-life Hyde Amendment. Please take a few moments to read his message here.
Deacon Kenneth and the seminarians for the Archdiocese of Baltimore willl be on retreat starting on Monday. Do remember them in your prayers as they will pray for our parish community.
Lastly, I am pleased to announce that Emily Gretz has joing the parish staff as a part-time Youth Ministry Coordinator. Emily is a long-time parishioner who has served in many roles: as an usher, as a volunteer in our Marriage Preparation and Faith Formation and Youth ministries. She is also a current member of the Parish Council. If you see Emily at Mass or out in the community, please join me in welcoming her to this new role and thanking her for continuing to share her gifts and talents with us.
Elements of the Catholic Mass Video Series:
We are beginning week 26 of our video series, Elements of the Catholic Mass. I would invite you to watch Episode 26 this week titled, The Altar and reflect on how this might help you in your faith. Here is the link to the episodes page.
Here is this Sunday's Worship Aid
A reminder....
Don't forget to use hand sanitizers in the Narthex and now, when you enter the church at the Food Pantry entrance.
As usual, we will continue to live-stream Mass (Mon - Thurs at 9:00am and Sunday at 9:30am) on the parish Facebook (link) and uploaded on YouTube (link), and our parish website, https://www.seaseton.org/Resources/Media. If you do not have Facebook but wish to watch our livestream, click here for instructions.
Have a good week!
Fr. Paul